Uninvited guest
by GhostWhispererJimel
Summary: When Melinda discovers that she is having visions of women being murdered before it happens and when she discovers that the murderer is taking his act to Grandview she fears for her life and for the people she loves.
1. Anniversary night

Melinda was cooking in the kitchen, facing the back of the house. Melinda started humming an unusual tune to herself.

Jim slowly, and quietly walked inside with a gorgeous black and purple dress and a bouquet of flowers. He closed the door behind him very quietly, and put the dress on the coat hanger. Jim watched Melinda cook for a minute, then a sly grin appeared on his face. He tiptoed over to Melinda, who was still humming her happy quickly put his hands over her eyes, and Melinda let out a little shriek and threw her hands in the air.

Jim laughed and said "guess who?" Jim removed his hands, but Melinda kept her eyes closed.

"Don't do that!" She cried out.

"Keep your eyes closed." He said with his arm out to her.

Jim kissed her on the cheek and walked back over to the door. He picked up the dress and walked back over to Melinda.

"Happy Anniversary, Mel." He said holding out the flowers and holding up the dress. A big smile came across his face.

Melinda opened her eyes and saw her husband holding out the flowers to her. Melinda grabbed the flowers and smiled. "Oh...They're beautiful...But, Jim, your hips are way to big for that dress." Melinda said almost crying. Jim laughed. Melinda ran up to Jim and embraced him with all her might. "It's beautiful...thank you." Melinda said wiping a tear from her eyes.

"It's chiffon." Jim said, in almost a cocky tone.

"Chiffon?" Melinda said in amazement.

"Yeah. It's--" Jim was stopped cold by what Melinda said.

"I don't even want to know what it costs." Melinda said seriously and then laughed. "I thought we said 'no gifts' this year."

"I know. I -uh- I don't consider this a gift." Jim said almost blushing.

"Wow." Melinda paused. "You're trying really hard to get me into bed, aren't you?" They both laughed and then just stared at each other. Melinda smiled at the level of awkwardness and then restarted some conversation. "I'm gonna...put this on. Then we can...get started." Melinda smiled and started upstairs.

Jim watched her walk upstairs, then followed behind her. Jim grabbed her right arm, and spun her around. The look he gave her almost made Melinda shiver and blush. He put his index finger under her chin and lifted her head. He hesitated for a moment, then pressed his lips against hers. They both closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment. When they pulled away, they both had the feeling as if that had been their first ever kiss. Melinda smiled and looked at Jim.

"I love you." Melinda said holding his hands.

"Love you too." Jim said almost blushing.

Melinda bit her lip then started back upstairs. Jim let out a big breath of air and walked back into the kitchen while Melinda walked upstairs. Melinda continued to smile and almost skipped her way upstairs. Melinda puts her hand on the doorknob to her and Jim's room, and she is jolted by a gruesome vision. The vision is incredibly hazy, so Melinda couldn't interpret much. All she saw was a woman in a white dress covered in blood. Melinda heard the sound of a bullet and the woman in white was knocked backwards. Melinda screamed simultaneously with the woman in her vision and Melinda fell to the ground. Melinda fell with extreme force and was knocked back into reality. Melinda put her hand to her stomach and looked around to see a pool of blood on the floor. Melinda breathed in deep and felt as if she were going to pass out. Jim came running upstairs called out Melinda's name. Melinda looked back at her stomach and the floor where there was no longer any blood.

"Are you okay? I heard you scream." Jim said on his knees with his hand on her shoulder.

Melinda was still breathing very heavy. She forced words out of her mouth. "Yeah...yeah I'm okay."

"Please don't say it's another ghost...not tonight." Jim said hoping he was wrong.

"No," Melinda said catching her breath. "It's not...it's probably just the baby or something."

"Maybe we should put this off. Just for--" Jim was cut off by Melinda.

"No. It's fine...I'm fine. Everything's fine. Really." Melinda looked at Jim who had an uneasy look on his face. "Go finish cooking, set the table...and I'll get ready."

Jim halted for a moment. "Okay." Jim helped Melinda back up and opened the door for her.

"I'll be down in a minute." Melinda smiled at him and Jim smiled back. Jim walked downstairs slowly and kept looking back at their bedroom door which Melinda had already entered through.

Melinda ran into the bathroom when Jim was finally out of sight, and pulled out candles fom underneath the sink. She spread them around their bedroom and lit every single one. She ran back into the bathroom and pulled out a tiny bag with an outfit in it. She closed the bathroom door and put it on.

Jim, still waiting in the kitchen, decided to check on Melinda. He walked upstairs and turned the doorknob to their bedroom. He opened the door and saw Melinda sitting on the bed wearing a brick red chemise surrounded by the dim lighting of candles and the dulcet tones of Smokey Robinson. Melinda tilts her head and looks at Jim who's mouth is gaped open. "You like?" She said trying to seduce him with the sound of her voice. Jim walked closer to Melinda and closed the door behind him, still, he said nothing. "I'm pregnant Jim...I can't drink all this wine by myself." Melinda smiled and held up a 2002 bottle of Napa Valley's Gaston. Jim stood there a moment, still not saying anything. He then started unbuttoning his shirt and walked over to Melinda.

Time passed, and they enjoyed themselves with...well...you know. Around two in the morning, and on their third bottle of wine, Jim partook in body shots. After the fourth body shot, Melinda was knocked, violently, back into another vision. This time the woman was being grabbed by a man and Melinda realized the woman was being strangled. Melinda didn't notice at first, but this was a different woman. She was wearing blue this time. She had blond hair...not black. And this woman's scream was different...more scared...more alone. Melinda was shocked back into reality and started to sway back and forth. Jim, laughing to himself, didn't notice Melinda's uncomfort at first.

"Mel...you okay? You look like you're going to pass out." Jim said changing his tone of voice.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm okay. It's probably just too much wine or something." Melinda said with her hand to her head.

"Melinda...you're pregnant...you-you can't drink wine." Jim said with a confused look on his face. "You sure you're okay?"

"Uh--" Melinda started to breath heavily. "No...I--I think I need to...sit down."

Jim helped Melinda onto the bed. "I don't like this Mel. There's something wrong."

"Jim, there's nothing wrong. I'm probably just a little under the weather or something." Melinda said shaking off the feeling of sickness.

Jim stood there a moment concerned for his wife. Jim sighed. "I think we need to call it a night."


	2. Murderer at large

Jim opened the door of his car and ran around to open Melinda's door. He held out his hand to help Melinda out of the car.

"Jim, I'm fine, you can stop coddling me now." Melinda said, laughing.

"Coddling? Who says I'm coddling?" Jim asked, confused.

"Me." Melinda said, almost frustrated.

"I'm sorry...I'm just looking out for you, Mel." Jim said, lowering his head.

"Don't be..." Melinda put her hands on both sides of Jim's head. She lifted his head and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you." Melinda kissed her husband then hugged him goodbye. "Go to work...I'll be fine." Jim nodded and got back into the car. Melinda watched Jim drive to the other side of the town square. Melinda walked in the door to her antique shop.

* * *

"Morning." She told her friend Delia.

"Good morning." Delia said, smiling at Melinda. "So?" Delia asked, without stating a point.

"What?" Melinda asked, oblivious.

"What was that about?" Delia asked, still not stating a point.

"What was what about?" Melinda asked, still oblivious.

"Jim never takes you to work...what's going on?" Delia paused for a moment, then gasped. "Is there something wrong with the baby?" Delia asked, terrified.

"No...." Melinda lowered her head "I don't know." Melinda said, sorrowfully.

"Okay, spill. what's going on?" Delia demanded.

"Nothing's going on. I was feeling a little under the weather last night. Jim thinks there's something wrong with the baby, I think it's another ghost." Melinda said, quickly, hoping to change the subject.

"You think you're being haunted?" Delia asked, as if she were in the middle of an episode Days of our lives.

"I don't know. It might be Jim that's haunted. I had a few visions last night, and it was when we were together, so it could've been either one of us." Melinda said, walking over to the front counter.

"Well, who is it? Who's doing the haunting?" Delia asked, enthusiastic.

"I think it's two different women." Melinda started to look around the antique shop. "One of them was blond and wearing blue, the other had black hair and a white dress."

"Well, what happened? I-In the vision, I mean." Delia asked, as if she couldn't bare the excitement.

"It was...gruesome....the woman in white was shot to death and the woman in blue was being strangled..." Melinda said, still looking around the antique shop. Delia looked at Melinda and noticed bruises on her neck.

"Mel..." Delia grabbed Melinda's attention. "Did--did you feel the vision...you know, when it was happening?" Delia asked, walking towards Melinda.

"It felt like a dream, but yeah...a little...why?" Melinda finally stopped looking around. Delia grabbed a mirror off the wall and held it up to Melinda. Melinda noticed the bruises on her neck. She put her hand on the bruises and pressed down on them gingerly. She winced at the pain.

"Is this ghost dangerous?" Delia asked, concerned.

"I don't know." Melinda said, freaked out.

"Have you even seen this ghost? Uh--ghosts?" Delia said, almost in an angry tone. Melinda shook her head and Delia sighed. "Well you better find them, and cross them over... fast."

* * *

*Bark! Bark! Bark!*

"Homer, be quiet. I'm trying to watch TV." Melinda said, wagging her finger at the ghost dog.

*Bark! Bark! Bark!*

"Jim, do something!" Melinda begged.

"Sorry...he's not my dog." Jim said, walking into the living room room the kitchen.

"Go...scat!" Melinda said, shooing Homer away.

*Whimper*

"You heard me...go." Melinda demanded. Homer ran upstairs.

"Is he gone?" Jim asked.

"Sorta." Melinda frowned. Jim turned up the volume on the TV.

"What _are_ you watching?" Jim asked, eating potato chips.

"Nothing." Melinda laughed. Melinda reached over and pulled a few potato chips out of the bag that Jim was holding.

"Hey, grubby. These are my chips, I paid for 'em...get your own." Jim said pulling the bag away.

"Alright, fine. But if you keep wasting money on cheap-ass potato chips, you won't have an money to pay alimony." Melinda smirked. Jim paused for a minute.

"Would you like some dip too? Something to drink? Maybe you'd like a back rub your diminutiveness?" Jim joked.

"Alright, that's it. You're paying child support too." Melinda said, joining the joke.

"Keep this up and we're going into litigation, Mel." Jim laughed.

''Oh, do you mean it?" Melinda says, playfully. They both laugh. Jim flipped through the channels. Melinda stopped him.

"Wait...go back...back to the news." Melinda said, in a quiet tone. Jim flipped back to the news.

"...A woman was found dead in her home in north suburban Vernon Hills this morning. The woman, in her 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:30 a.m. today in her home. Preliminary findings show she died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen and police are investigating it as a homicide. Vernon Hills Police remain on the scene at as of 9:30 a.m., according to a police dispatcher who could not immediately provide further information..." The news anchorman stated. Melinda muted the TV.

"What?" Jim asked.

"That woman...the one in the white dress...she was the one in my vision. But...she just died...which means..." Melinda began to breath heavily. The blood drained from Melinda's face. "There's still a murderer out there."


	3. Determined

Melinda remained on the couch, trembling with fear. She noticed her hands started to shake. Jim thought nothing of it, at first, but noticed the terrified look on Melinda's face. Melinda hearing about murderer who is still at large was only the initial shock. It's couldn't compare to the fear she was about to feel. Jim watched the images crawl about the TV without sound. The tension in the room was unbearably high. so high; you could cut it with a knife. Jim looked back at his wife. He knew she was afraid. She was worried for all the right reason. She feared for her life, for her friends, for Jim...for the baby. Jim knew...and he knew very well. Jim continued to watch the noiseless TV. There wasn't much else he could say. He noticed something. A video of a town...a town he knew very well. He unmuted the TV and then...just listened.

"...Private investigators noticed a pattern within these women he has murdered. They are all Caucasian women between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five. They all had a recorded height of 5'2''. Crime scene investigators have been following the murderer's trail and we suspect his next three stops will be in Beaumont, Ridgewood, and Grandview. We advise all women within these regions that fit the description to..."

Jim shut off the TV. He couldn't listen anymore. Now he was really worried. They very thought of losing his wife made him violently ill. He turned back to his wife who was already getting up to go upstairs. He knew what she was feeling. He felt the exact same way. He then knew what it was like. What it's like to feel scared, alone, and helpless. What else could Jim do? Grandview is a small town. There aren't very many people i Grandview,let alone very many people that fit Melinda's description. He knew...he knew that if this guy--this monster--found Melinda, she'd be the next to go. He put his head between his legs and breathed in deeply. He started thinking to himself about what would happen afterward.

"I love her...I love her more than anything...What am I suppose to do without her? What would I do with all her things? What is everyone else going to do without her? How can she help people if she's not around...The house would be so empty without her..." He started crying to himself. The very idea of losing Melinda seemed so final. But then he shocked himself awake. He finally started making sense of this situation.

"Snap out of it! You're losing it! No one is coming after your wife. Besides what makes them so sure he's coming to Grandview? It was just a calculated guess...plus, the killer might have had something personal with all the other women he's murdered. Why would he pick at random?" He told this to himself to calm him down. So many thoughts were running through his head. So many scattered thoughts. He couldn't infer which thought made the most sense. He couldn't decide what to were in a scary situation. The right decision is always the hardest one to make. He stood up, putting his hands on the opposite elbows. He breathed in deeply again. He started to black out, but he sat back down again. He couldn't understand why they were both so frightened. Why they felt their life together was coming to an end. Why they felt as if it was over for them.

He put his hands to his face. He was trying not to cry. He felt so broken down and he didn't understand why. He felt so sick; he felt nauseous and he was about ready to pass out. He breathed in one more time. "I have to wash my face," he thought. He tried to tell himself out loud, but he couldn't force the words out. He got up very slowly, hoping he wouldn't fall over before making it to the bathroom. His vision became more and more impaired. It was only five steps to the stairs but, to him, they felt more like five thousand. He tried keeping his balance. He stared at the ground as he watched himself walk. _left, right, left, right. _He finally reached the stairs and grabbed onto the railing with both hands. _Almost there! _He was in a cold sweat. His hands began to clam up and he was in sever pain. He breathed in deeper...much deeper. His body started to shake as he lifted his right knee to get up the first step. He made it up the first step with little trouble. He looked up this time. He looked up at the ceiling while he walked up the stairs. e counted each step to keep his mind off of passing out. He finally made it upstairs. He wasn't quite sure how, but he did. He took four extra steps into the bathroom and turned the knob to the sink. Cold water--it really helps. Suddenly, his vision came back to him, he could breathe again, and he was finally regaining control. He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment . He just stared--then he laughed. "Look at yourself...you're having a panic attack over nothing." He chuckled to himself again.

Out of nowhere came a very familiar tune. It was "London Bridge". He picked up a towel and dried his face. He still listened to the sound. He turned off the light to the bathroom and followed the sound. He walked down the hall as cool and calm as he had ever been. He turned and walked into the nursery where he saw Melinda standing by the crib. The mobile was slowly spinning and playing its tune. Melinda was looking into the crib, holding onto the sheets that adorned it. Jim walked up yo his wife and put his hands on her hips. He leaned his head and looked over at Melinda. She had a tear running down her face. He put his index and middle finger together and wiped the tear away.

"What's the matter?" He asked, as if he didn't already know.

"What's life going to be like...for the baby? Is it everything we'll ever want for it?" She asked, still staring into the crib.

"Of-of course it will, Mel." Jim said, unsure.

"Will it really? I mean...how can we know for sure? Anything can happen." Melinda said, walking away from Jim.

Jim sighed. He knew why his wife was feeling this way. He knew he couldn't do much to help, but he tried.

"Melinda..." he closed his eyes for a moment. "You can't spend your whole life being afraid of the future. Yes, anything can happen, and we can't stop every bad thing from happening. Accidents will always happen, and some things are just out of our control." Jim stood in front of Melinda and put his hands on each side of her face. "But, we can take precautions. We can learn to be careful. I can't say nothing will happen, but it probably won't." Jim looked at Melinda. She put her hand on top of Jim's. He notice a change in her facial expression. She didn't seem scared anymore. She didn't, necessarily, believe in what Jim was telling her as much as she trusted in him. Two minutes ago, Jim was terrified of the future. But he didn't find the strength to believe in what he told her until he saw how forlorn she was. He knows what the right thing is to do. He knows how to keep Melinda safe. Jim was determined to protect his wife. And he wasn't going down without a fight.


	4. Unintentional murder

The next morning Melinda was sitting upright on a hospital bed. She was kicking her feet back and forth, being extremely impatient. Jim was standing next to her, waiting as well.

"See? This is why I don't want you working here." Melinda stated, annoyed with the doctors' lack of urgency.

"It's not like we had anywhere else to go today, Mel." Jim said, trying to hide his being annoyed, as well.

Melinda sat there with her tongue dancing across her teeth. "How long has it been?"

"I don't know." Jim said, sitting down on the bed with her.

Melinda chuckled. "I guess they think if the baby can wait nine months, we can too."

Jim chuckled. "They should be here soon, Mel."

Melinda and Jim waited another twenty minutes before a doctor finally entered the room. A woman with long brown hair came in with a large smile on her face. She had a genuine smile on her face. She was the kind of person you could easily trust.

"Hi, I'm so sorry for being late. My name is Doctor Reynolds. You must be Jim...Melinda..." She shook both of their hands before motioning to Melinda's stomach. "And you must be my patient." Melinda and Jim both laughed at the level of comfort in the room. "I would've been here sooner if I could've but...actually I wouldn't have been here at all."

"What do you mean?" Jim asked, confused.

"The hospital assigned you to Doctor Sutphen, but she was recently transferred. I had to fill in." She said, still smiling.

"Where'd they pull you from?" Jim asked, with crossed arms.

"Seattle." She said, bluntly.

"Wow." Melinda and Jim said simultaneously.

"Eh, that hospital wasn't very good anyway. Horrible conditions, believe me" She trailed off. "Not a good place to raise a family."

"You have kids?" Melinda asked, glowing.

"Five." She said, smiling again. "Two girls..." She held out a picture from her jacket. "...and three boys."

"Awww. Jim look they're so cute." Melinda smiled.

"Molly's the oldest. She's seven. Blake is four, Leighton and Collin are three, and Katy's turning two in a few days."

"Congratulations." Jim said, unfolding his arms.

"Well, I'm not the only one who deserves congratulations in this room....Thirteen weeks! Are you first time parents?" She asked, grabbing some things for the ultrasound.

"Not necessarily." Jim stated, quietly.

"I'm sorry?" She asked, confused.

"This is the longest time my pregnancy has been carried out for before termination so...we're hoping." Melinda said, lowering the tone in her voice.

"Well, from now on, I am too." She smiled again at Melinda and Jim. "Are we ready for the ultrasound?"

"Ready as ever." Melinda said, calm. Melinda lied down on the bed, unbuttoned her pants, and lifted up her shirt to the bottom of her chest.

Jim interrupted the ultrasound. "Hey, if you don't mind, it's already like 50 degrees in here and that gel is very cold...uh...from what I hear. So could you--"

"Warm it up? I always do." She smiled her warm smile again. Doctor Reynolds continued with the process while Melinda and Jim just waited. "Everything looks good. And if it helps, Melinda, this pregnancy should be carried to full term with no complications...if you use the right prenatal care, of course." She took one more look at the screen. "Alright...I think you can go." Doctor Reynolds cleaned the gel off of Melinda's stomach and sent them on their way. Melinda and Jim grabbed their things and headed out the door. "Wait!" Doctor Reynolds called out. Melinda and Jim turned around. "Did you want to know the sex?" She asked, with a giddy smile.

Jim turned to Melinda. "Please, Mel? I know you want to wait, but I really want to know." Jim begged.

Melinda sighed. "Go ahead." She said, smiling.

Jim ran over to Doctor Reynolds, who whispered in his ear. "Really?" He said, smiling. Jim had the cutest look on his face. He was so happy. "Thank you." With that, Jim turned back around and walked out the door holding hands with Melinda.

* * *

Jim turned off the car and got out. He went around the side of the car and opened the door for Melinda.

"It's official...I've gotten too fat to get in and out of cars. From now on, we need a flat bed to carry me places."

"Melinda, you're only eight pounds heavier, and you've only gone up one pant size." Jim said, trying to reassure her.

"I know." Melinda said, upset.

"Mel...eight pounds or eighty pounds...you are still the most beautiful woman in the world." Jim said, kissing her hand.

"And that's why I love you so much." Melinda leaned in and kissed Jim.

"Let's go inside." Jim said, smiling. Jim helped Melinda out of the car and they walked inside. "I'm gonna go take a shower." Jim said, walking upstairs.

"Okay. I'll go ahead and get dinner started." Melinda said, not paying any attention. Melinda closed the door behind her and walked into the kitchen to start dinner. She opened the fridge door and pulled out some food. She got everything prepped and ready to go. She just needed to cut the tomatoes. She turned around and grabbed a knife from the butcher block. Less than a second later she had another vision. This one was more interpretable. She saw a red-head walk into an apartment building. She heard the woman call out a name. "Austin? Austin are you home?" The woman closed the door and walked up the stairs. She opened the door to, what appeared to be a bedroom. When she opened the door a man came out from the dark and stabbed the woman dressed in green. The woman fell to the floor and the man walked away. When Melinda came back from her vision, she fell to the floor dropping the knife. The knife landed directly in Melinda's stomach. Melinda lied there helpless with no one to help her except her husband, who had just gotten in the shower.


	5. Next on the list

Melinda was lying on the kitchen floor for nearly a half hour before Jim had finally come back downstairs. She was in excruciating pain; it was absolutely unbearable. The worst part was that for the whole thirty minutes, she was conscious. All of her senses were still atainable, but she couldnot move and she could not speak. Her fingers began to go numb, and blood was still pouring out from her body. She felt like she would die on the spot.

"Mel?...Melinda?" Jim called out, but there was no answer. Melinda opened her mouth to speak, but it was to no avail. He called for her again. "Melinda?" He listened...no response. Jim walked into the kitchen to find his wife lying in on the ground in a pool of her own crimson blood. Jim jolted to action. "Oh, my god! Mel? Melinda can you hear me? Stay with me okay? Stay with me." Jim grabbed the phone and called for help.

"911, what's your emergency?" Asked the dispatcher.

"Yeah, my wife...she needs help. She has a superficial wound to the abdomen. There's a knife in it. I'm going to try and stop the bleeding...she's conscious, but she's not responding. Can you send patrol over?" Jim said, frantically.

"What's your address?"

"180 Hazen street."

"We're sending someone now."

Jim hung up the phone and grabbed a rag from one of the drawers. He grabbed the handle of the knife with one hand, and brushed Melinda's hair back with the other. "Mel...can you hear me?" Jim let go of the knife and grabbed Melinda's hand. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me." Melinda closed her eyes and squeezed Jim's hand, and she didn't let go. " Okay, listen carefully. In order for me to stop the bleeding, I have to put pressure on your wound...to do that I have to pull out the knife. Okay? It's gonna hurt like hell." Melinda squeezed his hand harder, When she eased back, he released his grip and grabbed the knife again. "Ready?" He asked. With a quick flick of his wrist he pulled the knife out and quickly put pressure on her wound with the rag. Melinda screamed out in pain. "I know, baby, I know. Shhh..." He tried to ease her pain the best he knew how. After a few minutes, Melinda started to fade. "Stay with me, Mel. Stay with me." Jim called out, urgently. Melinda's vision began to fade and it got harder for her to breath. The last thing she remembered seeing before she finally passed out was Jim's scared face, and the last thing she heard was him calling out her name.

* * *

When she came to, she only paid attention to two things: The beeping sound that came from a heart monitor and the freezing cold temperature. She was awake, but her eyes remained closed. She couldn't find it in herself to open her eyes. She knew it was early in the morning...she heard the birds chirping and she could see the sunlight behind her closed eyelids. She laid there a fe more minutes and just istened to the sounds around her. She heard the door open and then close. She didn't hear any voices... but she heard someone inhale and then she heard footsteps. Footsteps that came closer and closer. Then she heard a chair move and someone sit down. Then...silence. Blessed silence. She heard nothing else for a long, long time. She, actually, started to fall back asleep. Then, she felt someone's warm hand take hold of hers and grasp it tightly. To her surprise, she still kept her eyes closed. She didn't open her eyes until she felt someone's warm, moist lips press against her forehead. The light was the first thing that shown through; everything else was a blur. She saw the figure of a man right beside her, holding her hand. As her visions became clearer, she saw, the once frantic, Jim sitting next to her with a look of relief on his face.

"Oh, thank god!" Jim put his hand on melinda's face. "I thought I lost you." His eyes were watering.

Melinda looked around her hospital room. She seemed to be out of it.

"What time is it?" Melinda askked, groggily.

Jim lifted his jacket sleeve and looked at his watch. "A little after six."

Melinda's eyes widened in surprise. "Have you been here all night?" She asked, stunned.

"Yeah...well, I left a minute ago to go to the bathroom...but other than that, yeah." Melinda smiled at Jim's admiration.

The room was freezing cold. Melinda started to shiver. "You want me to turn the heat up?" Jim asked, abrubtly. Melinda nodded.

Melinda sat up and called out in pain. Jim ran back over to Melinda. "Hey...be careful, Mel. You're gonna pop your stitches." Melinda put her hand on her stomach where the wound had been. "You lost a lot of blood, you know." Melinda said nothing.

They both sat there a moment, silent. "Mel, what happened?" He asked, upset. Melinda ignored his question for a moment. Jim sighed. "A ghost thing?" He asked, annoyed. Melinda looked away. He sighed again. "It doesn't matter right now...I just want you to get better." He said, adjusting her bed sheets. They were silent again, but then Melinda jumped up in shock.

"Is the baby okay?" Melinda was in a panic.

"It's okay,Mel. Don't worry, the baby's okay. She's okay." Jim jumped back in surprise. He whispered to himself. "Damnit!''

Melinda's eyes began to water. "'She'?"

Jim sighed. "Yeah...it's a gilr." Jim said, smiling.

"Youre not lying, are you?" Melinda asked, irritated.

"No, no...it was a slip of tongue, honest!" Jim said, frantically. Melinda lowered her head and started crying. "You're not mad, are you?" Jim asked, a little scared.

"No, I'm happy!" Melinda said, through tears of joy. Melinda and Jim enjoyed their happy moment together. They were both happier than they had ever been. Then, Melinda noticed something on the TV. "Turn it up, Jim!" She, almost, demanded. Jim picked up the remote and turned off the mute button. The news had been on and Melinda saw a familiar woman on the screen.

"...Twenty-eight year old, Caitling Bowles was found a little over an hour ago, dead in her home in Oakmont. Police suspect homicide. The neighbors heard screamind earlier this morning and witnesses say they saw a man leaving her home. The cause of death has been established and was given out to reporters. Reporters say that young Bowles was the victim of strangulation. Other eye witnesses tell us..." Melinda turned off the TV.

"That was the woman in my vision...The one in the blue dress." Melinda looked at Jim. "That means...the woman with the red hair...I-In the green dress...she's next on the list."


	6. That's her name

After spending six days resting and recovering in the hospital, Melinda was exhausted. She could barely stand up without feeling the pressure on her knees. Jim, occasionally, had to carry Malinda from place to place. Thee accident wasn't as bad as Melinda had, originally, thought. The knife only penetrated through her body at about an inch. It missed all other vital organs; that's why she's still alive. Jim was happy to have her home. He was glad that Melinda and their daughter were okay.

Melinda woke up one morning and heard whistling coming from another room. She tried to ignore her achy muscles when she awoke. She got up, almost falling back down on the bed, and staggered down the hall. There was Jim, in the nursery, painting the walls. The paint was new, Melinda could tell. Her body told her heart told her that she didn't care. Melinda watched Jim, painting away. She started looking around the room… everything else was new too. All the furniture, all the toys… everything. Everything was new, and she liked it.

"I wouldn't have done burgundy." Melinda said, startling her husband. "It doesn't match the color scheme… I would've gone with salmon… or peach… or, I don't know, any remorse kind of pink." She teased her husband.

Jim set the paint can on the top step of the ladder and jumping off. "You weren't supposed to see this yet… not till it was done, anyway." Jim said, disappointed.

"What is all this?" questioned, Melinda.

"I came in here last night, and…well…it just didn't feel right. You know what I mean? It just—it had to be perfect."

"it doesn't have to be perfect, Jim." Melinda walked up to Jim and kissed him. "But that doesn't change the fact that burgundy is a hideous color." Melinda walked out of the room and Jim followed.

"It is not." Jim stated, from behind his wife.

"With that color scheme? You're damn right, it's hideous." She said, turning back around to him.

"Alright, alright… I'll get pink." Jim said, giving in.

"Thank you, now was that too hard to say?" Melinda said, messing around.

Jim started downstairs and Melinda followed. A sharp shooting pain spread all through Melinda's body, and she cried out in pain.

Jim sprinted back to Melinda. "Hey, are you okay, Mel?" he asked, with concern. Melinda's ankles started to give way and so did her knees. She fall, as much as she started lowering to ground, before she could touch the ground, Jim had picked her up and carried her in his arms. He carried her downstairs, holding her tightly. "You gotta take it easy, Mel. You're sill really weak." Jim walked from upstairs to the living room, and laid Melinda down, gently, on the couch.

"Do you want something to eat?" Jim asked changing the subject. Melinda shook her head. "You sure? I'll make whatever you want… even if we don't have it; I can run down to the store and get whatever it is that you want." Melinda shook her head again. Jim sighed. He stood there a moment while Melinda just lied down. Jim walked over to the couch and sat down on the coffee table. He rubbed his fingers through her hair. "How are you feeling?" he asked, looking into his wife's beautiful eyes.

"Do you really want to know?" Melinda asked, closing her eyes. Jim nodded. Melinda opened her eyes and saw the look of concern on Jim's face. She sat up and sighed. "Well… to be honest, my back hurts, ankles hurt, I have a headache, I feel nauseous, and I have a stabbing pain in my stomach; no pun intended."

"Do you want to get you anything?" Jim asked, in almost a sad tone of voice.

"It's fine, Jim." She said, reassuring him.

"Are you sure?"

"Actually… three things. A cold pack for my back."

"Okay."

"Something for my headache."

"Got it."

"And, in our room, there's a book on the nightstand… that's the third thing."

"Consider it done." Jim walked away with a smile. While she waited for Jim to come back downstairs, she fiddled around with her nightgown. She was distracted by homer's barking outside. She laughed at how cute and innocent he seemed. She looked at the sunlight shining through the living room window and the dust particles floating around the room. She smiled at how peaceful the world seemed at that moment. She felt a slight pricking feeling in her stomach, and she knew that the baby was kicking. She rubbed her hands on her stomach and smiled.

Jim came trotting back downstairs not a moment too soon. He walked into the kitchen, not saying a word. He poured Melinda a glass of water and walked back into the living room. He handed her a small circular pill and the glass of water. Melinda took her medicine while Jim put the cold pack on her back. He held up a small, purple, rectangular shaped book that said, "Know your baby's name".

"Where'd you get this?" He asked, with an interesting look on his face.

"I got it yesterday… my mother sent it to me…" She trailed off. "You know, we have to start thinking about a name Jim. I don't know if you've noticed, but it's kinda important. And we have to pick the right one, too. If we don't, she's going to hate us forever and ever." Melinda declared.

"Okay…" Jim sighed. "Melinda Junior."

"No! We are not naming our daughter "Junior"…not our son either, Jim."

"Alright, then you pick."

Melinda sat there a moment, thinking…just thinking. It had to be perfect…or it had to, at least, seem perfect. Jim didn't care as much, but Melinda did.

Melinda set the book aside. "You're not gonna use the book?" Asked Jim.

"No…it has to come to me first." Melinda

Melinda sat there a little longer. She tried to think of the perfect name. But her mind went blank. Luckily, soon afterward, it came to her.

"Abby." Melinda said quietly. "Abby…her name is Abby!" Melinda smiled. "Well?" She asked Jim for an answer.

"I love it." Jim said smiling.

"Okay…Abby…that's her name."

Typed by Fanpire loves Jasper


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